Picking up the tab on the first date is always an awkward moment. Do you offer? Do you just sit there looking around the room and wait for him to take it? What do your actions say about you as a person? In this week’s He Said/She Said, we dive into first date etiquette. Who should be grabbing their wallet?

He Said:
Paying on the first date is completely inconsequential to me. I seriously don’t care. If I asked you out, then me paying makes sense to me, based only on logic. However, if she wants to pay, that’s fine, too. It doesn’t make me feel like any less of a man. Especially if I’ve somehow tricked some super-employed high powered lady into dating me (bonus!).

What I really hate is games being played with money/forced confusion. Read More »

While biking up an extraordinarily large and difficult hill in Spin class this morning (made even more difficult by the night of binge drinking that preceded it), I was startled out of my zone by a rather raucous shout of, “COME ON, BABY!” I wasn’t sure who was screaming, or who baby was, but I didn’t care; I lost my groove. I started feeling the pain in my legs, the burning in my quads, and my whole ride was off. But I kept going. And so did she.

“WOO”“LET’S DO THIS!”“PEDAL. DO IT DO IT DO IT.” It was quite clear that this loud and rather burly woman was screaming at herself - pushing herself – but, why? Was there something wrong with internal dialogue?? With all the adrenaline pumping through my body, I wanted to pull a Christopher Carter and knock that bitch off her bike. Read More »

This weekend I met a guy. He is cute, funny, and 6′1″ – we exchanged numbers, and things were looking good.

Then at the end of the night as I was falling asleep, my phone chirped to inform me of a new text, from my new guy, “Great 2 meet u.”

Damn. And he had so much potential.

I know, I know, it is a sweet thing to say, but my problem is not with what he said, its how. I am the first to admit that I being extremely judgmental, but as an English major and someone who thoroughly enjoys words, I really hate to see them butchered.

Yeah, I’ve had people rationalize this texting style as faster, easier, whatever, but to substitute a single letter or a number for a word completely peeves me. Every time I see ‘4‘ in place of the word ‘for‘ or ‘c‘ instead of ‘see‘ or ‘2morrow‘ where there should be a ‘tomorrow‘ I cringe, I think of a junior high student, IQ points are lost, and a person suddenly seems extremely lazy- is it really that much harder to just type the extra two or three letters?? (The answer is no.) Read More »

Despite the fact that I have been experiencing severe tail-bone pain for the past two weeks (due to a semi-drunken tumble down a flight of stairs), I have been attempting to keep up with my five-days-a-week gym schedule. Any other time of year and I probably would just take advantage of the fact that my ass is a lovely shade of eggplant and sleep in instead. But, being that everyone else in the world is using this month to get in shape, I felt motivated to do the same.

Being that I can’t partake in my usual morning classes (spinning with this bruise? Not a chance), I have been forced to return to the cardio floor. And my return has reminded me why I have been avoiding it for so long. Maybe it is because it is so early in the morning, or maybe it is because I really hate being at the gym until my workout is actually over and I’m sipping on my coffee, but there are some gym people that are just starting to piss me off.

There may not be a list posted anywhere, but there are some unspoken rules regarding gym etiquette that everyone is supposed to abide by. Like warning someone before they set up all their stuff and begin working out that the treadmill is broken. Not after when they nearly fall off and break their necks because the belt was sticking. (Welcome to my morning).

Sorry. I’m getting angry all over again, but I am sure I am not alone in my frustration. So here is a list of my biggest Gym Pet Peeves. Let us all commiserate together. Read More »

I know for some people it ranks right up there with eating bugs, but I’m a sushi lover and proud of it. From tame tuna to eel and octopus, I’m a fan of it all. Eating sushi at least once a week for years, I’ve picked up some tips in order to not look like a fish out of water when ordering sushi.

So, next time you’re out at a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant, put down the fork you’re using to stab at your sushi with reckless abandon, and impress your friends with the following rules of sushi etiquette. You’ll look like a pro, even if you’re a sushi virgin.

When in doubt, ask the chef.
If you’re new to sushi or just looking for some new flavors, park your rear at the sushi bar instead of getting a table. Most chefs would be happy to introduce you to their favorites.

Don’t ask “what’s fresh today?”
Assume everything you see in front of you is fresh—or else they wouldn’t be serving it. If you were having dinner at a friend’s, would you ask them if the meal they prepared is fresh? Same concept. If you’re not sure what to order, ask the chef (or waitress, if you’re at a table) to bring their favorites. If you have control issues, you can also offer your preferences as to level of spiciness or certain types of fish you like and dislike. Read More »

Facebook has killed etiquette.Remember when you used to get phone calls on your birthday, handwritten invitations to housewarmings, and thank-you cards in the mail? Me neither.

We’re a generation raised on internet communication, and I’m not sure that we’re better off. I started thinking about this a few weeks ago after sending invites to my 21st birthday via Facebook.

I’m not much of a birthday celebrator, so the last time that I actually made a big shin-ding out of it was years ago—back before the majority of my friends had emails and screen names, when I called each of them from my phone home and they jotted down the event specifics on a big Spice Girls or kitten calendar. You would get a phone call from each guest by a specified date, letting you know if they were coming so that you knew how many goody-bags full of Jacks, Silly Putty, and friendship bracelets to buy. Read More »

I’ve been single for a while. And when I say single, I mean…not in a relationship. I’ve had things. We’ve all had things. But things eventually go down one of two streets; Boring Lane or Sucky Road.I can usually tell the difference between a thing and something cool within the first five minutes of being out with someone. Even when my head is telling me to ‘give it a little while!’ my instinct is already walking out the door. Either there’s a spark or there’s not. Either I feel something when I’m around him, or I just feel annoyed.

Admittedly, I’m a picky gal, and try as I might, I can’t settle for anything less than awesome. Why should I? Why should anyone? I’m sure some great philosopher once said something like, “life is short, why chill with losers?”, and I can’t think of any reason to argue with such a statement.

The combination of being single and liking adventure, but being picky as hell, has led me on a lot of first dates. Some of them have been hilarious. Some have been uncomfortable. And some have just been bullshit. (“I don’t know why girls think a guy should pay for anything” an asshole once said within 10 minutes of meeting me, “I’m a starving artist. I’m not into paying for things.”) Read More »